Eternals didn't see the success that Marvel Studios hoped for during its worldwide theater run in late 2021. On top of premiering during a global pandemic, the film was also plagued with mixed reviews from both critics and fans alike, affecting its box office numbers each week. Eternals is now available to stream on Disney+, which will provide fans with an easy way to revisit it and possibly change their outlook on the movie.
The film had as much potential as any in the MCU, with Oscar-winning director Chloé Zhao at the helm and a slew of A-list actors such as Richard Madden, Angelina Jolie, and Kit Harington in the cast. Many viewers had high expectations for the ambitious project, but due to claims of it being exposition-heavy and containing too many characters, a lot of viewers didn't consider it a must-watch.
However, it seems as though the tides have turned, as a report was recently released showing that Eternals has broken a Disney+ record.
Eternals Nabs 2M Views on Disney+
According to a report from Samba TV via Twitter, Marvel's Eternals was streamed by 2 million households during its first five days on Disney+.
It was also reported by Luis Fernando that the film broke the record for most streams by a Marvel Studios movie in the first five days after release, surpassing Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, which held the previous record.
For comparison, Shang-Chi was watched by 1.8 million households in its first five days on the streaming service, and Black Widow amassed 1.1 million views.
When looking at streaming numbers for the DCEU, The Suicide Squad was streamed by 2.8 million households during its debut period and Zack Snyder's Justice League opened with 1.8 million views.
Why Fans are Watching Eternals
Due to the negative critic reviews and fan response that Eternals received while it was in theaters, it is somewhat surprising to see that it has performed so well on Disney+, but the most likely reason is the pandemic.
Eternals premiered right before the holidays, and understandably, many people probably didn’t feel comfortable sitting in a packed theater just days or weeks before going and visiting their families. With the way Disney+ is set up, it is extremely convenient for viewers to just wait until it is released on the platform and then stream it for free with their subscription.
Even if fans had read the reviews prior to watching the film, a majority of them would likely want to see it anyway just to keep up with the continuity of the MCU. When some of the characters from the movie inevitably show up in future projects, fans will want to be completely filled in so they will know exactly what is going on.
Overall, it is nice to see that Eternals is being watched by a large number of people, and anytime an MCU movie breaks a record, it is always exciting. Hopefully, going forward, future Marvel films will be able to boast the same streaming numbers as Eternals has had to date.
